The Jester

By: James Patterson, Andrew Gross

Narrated by: Neil Dickson

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Hugh De Luc, a poor innkeeper, returns home from the First Crusade wearied from battle and disillusioned by carnage. After journeying from the Holy Land back to his own small village, he finds his nightmare is just beginning.

In his absence, Hugh's son has been killed and his beloved wife, Sophie, abducted by a ruthless duke in search of a priceless relic dating back to the Crucifixion. Taking on the role of a jester, Hugh infiltrates the court where he believes Sophie is held captive. There he confronts men more evil than he ever imagined and embarks on an epic battle to restore his broken life.

©2003 James Patterson, All Rights Reserved. (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks, A Division of AOL Time Warner Book Group

Critic reviews

"From start to finish, this is supersmart popular fiction, slick yet stirring...unforgettable characters...Patterson's fans will love this one." (Publishers Weekly)

absolutely love this book. I rarely reread books but I cant help but keep going back to this one. Pls write more along these lines.

Patterson's Best

Although a departure for Patterson, this is his best book yet. It grabs and holds you from start to finish. The biggest problem with this book is that nowhere within it did I find a "good" place to stop and take a break. You find yourself wanting to keep going until you reach the end, then being disappointed that the end got there so quickly. Listening to this book on CD is what prompted me to become an AudioListener.

This one works

Patterson is obviously trying to branch out and away from the Alex Delaware books -- this one actually works. At the beginning I was a little taken a back, waiting for the time to shift back to present day. After a few hours, I started to get into it and really enjoyed it. I still think he should stick to his regular shtick on the murder mysteries, which he is very good at. He took two stabs at new styles and this one worked, but the other failed miserably: The Lake House.

Should be an epic movie!

I enjoyed this story so much that I hope it gets made into a movie. This would be a great one.

Great Book

The story spanned many years and was very intriguing, the leaps in time were believable, and unnecessary time was not wasted getting from one place to the other. James Patterson proves once again the depths of his talents. My attention was held and I looked forward to the drive to and from work to be able to continue my adventure. Keep em coming Mr. Patterson.

Worth while tale.

Gripping storyline, some repetition, but overall a good read. Narration was easy to listen to.

3children

Patterson does not write a historical novel as well as he does a detective story. The plot gets boring and contrived, with out much intrigue.

incredible tale.

the narrator kept me entertained and inquisitive through the entire novel very well done very well written Bravo James Patterson

Very enjoyable, but has a glaring stylistic "mistake"

The book has a good storyline, many affable characters, down-to-earth and loveable heroes and detestable villains. There were lords exercising tyrannical abuse of authority over their serfs, a thirst for freedom and fairness, love, hate, self-doubt, arrogance, rape, murder and mayhem. A review of the horrors of war, the human condition and the power of love.

But here is the "mistake". The majority of the story takes place in France, much of it in rural France. And while the voice actors were very talented, the dialog of every single French character was spoken in English......with a British accent rather than a French accent.

I can understand the Dukes and Duchesses and other nobility speaking with a British accent. Their ilk historically spent time abroad or had been tutored in English by a Brit. But French serfs from the countryside speaking English with (mostly) upper crust British accents?! This is an aspect of the book to which the producers and directors should have given more consideration.

This is masterpiece

The Jester is a true masterpiece written in a powerful prose befitting a epic novel from days past. Anyone who reads this novel will be completely lost in the journey.